Women · World record

Marathon

The current record and its documented progression: 10 ratified records from 2002 to 2026, with 29 listed as world bests before ratification, 8 otherwise annotated shown in place.

Current record

2:09:56

Ruth Chepng'etichKENChicago · 13 Oct 2024

1 year standing354 s improvementAll-time top 50 →

Record progression

Each step is a documented record; hollow marks were rescinded, not ratified or are pending

1918 · 5:40:00 Marie-Louise Ledru (Annotated)1926 · 3:40:22 Violet Piercy (World best)1963 · 3:37:07 Merry Lepper (World best)1964 · 3:27:45 Dale Greig (World best)1964 · 3:19:33 Mildred Sampson (World best)1967 · 3:14:23 Maureen Wilton (World best)1967 · 3:07:27.2 Anni Pede-Erdkamp (World best)1970 · 3:02:53 Caroline Walker (World best)1971 · 3:01:42 Elizabeth Bonner (World best)1971 · 2:55:22 Elizabeth Bonner (World best)1971 · 2:49:40 Cheryl Bridges (World best)1973 · 2:46:36 Michiko Gorman (World best)1974 · 2:46:24 Chantal Langlacé (World best)1974 · 2:43:54.5 Jacqueline Hansen (World best)1975 · 2:42:24 Liane Winter (World best)1975 · 2:40:15.8 Christa Vahlensieck (World best)1975 · 2:38:19 Jacqueline Hansen (World best)1977 · 2:35:15.4 Chantal Langlacé (World best)1977 · 2:34:47.5 Christa Vahlensieck (World best)1978 · 2:32:29.8 Grete Waitz (World best)1979 · 2:27:32.6 Grete Waitz (World best)1980 · 2:31:23 Joan Benoit (Annotated)1980 · 2:30:57.1 Patti Catalano (Annotated)1980 · 2:25:41.3 Grete Waitz (World best)1980 · 2:30:27 Joyce Smith (Annotated)1981 · 2:29:57 Joyce Smith (Annotated)1981 · 2:25:28 Allison Roe (World best)1982 · 2:29:01.6 Charlotte Teske (Annotated)1982 · 2:26:12 Joan Benoit (Annotated)1983 · 2:25:28.7 Grete Waitz (World best)1983 · 2:22:43 Joan Benoit (World best)1984 · 2:24:26 Ingrid Kristiansen (Annotated)1985 · 2:21:06 Ingrid Kristiansen (World best)1998 · 2:20:47 Tegla Loroupe (World best)1999 · 2:20:43 Tegla Loroupe (World best)2001 · 2:19:46 Naoko Takahashi (World best)2001 · 2:18:47 Catherine Ndereba (World best)2002 · 2:17:18 Paula Radcliffe2003 · 2:15:25 Paula Radcliffe2005 · 2:17:42 Paula Radcliffe2017 · 2:17:01 Mary Jepkosgei Keitany2019 · 2:14:04 Brigid Kosgei2023 · 2:11:53 Tigst Assefa2024 · 2:16:16 Peres Jepchirchir2024 · 2:09:56 Ruth Chepng'etich2025 · 2:15:50 Tigst Assefa2026 · 2:15:41 Tigst Assefa 2:09:56.05:40:00.0

19181973 · Gorman 2:46:361980 · Waitz 2:25:41.32001 · Takahashi 2:19:462026 · Assefa 2:15:41

Documented records

10 ratified · 29 world bests · 8 annotated · most recent first · Wikipedia (EN) revision 1372025651, imported 2 Sep 2026

MarkAthleteNationVenueDateStood
2:15:41 Tigst Assefa ETH London Marathon 26 Apr 2026 131 d
2:15:50 Tigst Assefa ETH London Marathon 27 Apr 2025 364 d
2:09:56 Ruth Chepng'etich KEN Chicago Marathon 13 Oct 2024 196 d
2:16:16 Peres Jepchirchir KEN London Marathon 21 Apr 2024 175 d
2:11:53 Tigst Assefa ETH Berlin Marathon 24 Sep 2023 210 d
2:14:04 Brigid Kosgei KEN Chicago Marathon 13 Oct 2019 3 yrs
2:17:01 Mary Keitany KEN London Marathon 23 Apr 2017 2 yrs
2:17:42 Paula Radcliffe GBR London Marathon 17 Apr 2005 12 yrs
2:15:25 Paula Radcliffe GBR London Marathon 13 Apr 2003 2 yrs
2:17:18 Paula Radcliffe GBR Chicago Marathon 13 Oct 2002 182 d
2:18:47 Catherine Ndereba World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance KEN Chicago Marathon 7 Oct 2001
2:19:46 Naoko Takahashi World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance JPN Berlin Marathon 30 Sep 2001
2:20:43 Tegla Loroupe World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance KEN Berlin Marathon 26 Sep 1999
2:20:47 Tegla Loroupe World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance KEN Rotterdam Marathon 19 Apr 1998
2:21:06 Ingrid Kristiansen World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance NOR London Marathon 21 Apr 1985
2:24:26 Ingrid Kristiansen AnnotatedRecognized by the Association of Road Racing Statisticians (ARRS) NOR London Marathon 13 May 1984
2:22:43 Joan Benoit World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance USA Boston Marathon 18 Apr 1983
2:25:28.7 Grete Waitz World bestListed by World Athletics as a world best prior to official acceptance NOR London Marathon 17 Apr 1983
2:26:12 Joan Benoit AnnotatedRecognized by the Association of Road Racing Statisticians (ARRS) USA Nike OTC Marathon, Eugene, United States 12 Sep 1982
2:29:01.6 Charlotte Teske AnnotatedRecognized by the Association of Road Racing Statisticians (ARRS) FRG Miami, United States 16 Jan 1982

Showing 20 of 47 · Show all · Rows link to a profile only where the athlete appears on a published list. Struck marks were rescinded or never ratified, and A marks a performance at altitude; both come from the source article's own key and markers, and eras are kept as it lists them. Nothing is inferred.